The registered dietitian is the nutrition and food expert. To become a part of the growing and vital profession of dietetics, take the following steps:

1.Earn a minimum of a graduate degree from an accredited dietetics program. A baccalaureate didactic degree program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND) provides a foundation for a graduate degree and supervised practice program.  Tarleton’s dietetics concentration in the Bachelors of Science in Nutrition Science has accreditation candidacy status from ACEND as a Didactic Program in Dietetics (DPD). Students completing a DPD will receive a verification statement which makes graduates eligible for a variety of graduate programs and supervised practice pathways.  A master’s degree is required to be eligible for the RDN exam. Some accredited programs include a master’s degree, while other students complete their undergraduate in dietetics and earn a master’s degree in another field (public health, communications, etc.).

2.Complete a supervised practice requirement. In addition to the graduate degree, individuals must complete at least 1,000 hours of supervised practice to gain real-world experience and apply knowledge learned in the classroom to the context of a variety of work settings.

3.Pass a national exam for RDNs. Once you complete your degrees and supervised practice, you may schedule to take CDR’s Registration Examination for Registered Dietitians to become a credentialed as registered dietetics nutritionist. This is called “RDN eligibility,” meaning you have completed the requirements to become eligible to take the national exam.

4.Meet requirements to practice in your state. Many states have regulatory laws licensure for food and nutrition practitioners. All states accept the RDN credential for state licensure purposes.  For more information about licensure/certification requirements in all states visit the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

5.Stay up-to-date in dietetics through continuing education. After successfully passing the national exam and earning the credential, RDNs maintain ongoing professional development in order to stay up to date on the latest research, recommendations and best practices.

There are several kinds of accredited dietetics education programs — each offering a different experience and “pathway” to RDN eligibility.

Meet requirements to practice in your state. Meet requirements to practice in your state. Many states have regulatory laws (i.e., licensure) for food and nutrition practitioners. All states accept the RDN credential for state licensure purposes.  For more information about licensure/certification requirements in all states visit the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR).

There are several kinds of accredited dietetics education programs — each offering a different experience and “pathway” to RDN eligibility.

Pathway: Coordinated Programs (CP)

Coordinated programs combine classroom learning with supervised practice experiences within one program. When you graduate from a coordinated program, you satisfy both the graduate degree and supervised practice requirements and are eligible to take the national RDN exam.

Pathway: Didactic Programs in Dietetics (DPD) + Dietetic Internships (DI)

This pathway consists of two education programs: First you complete a Didactic Program in Dietetics, which is your classroom coursework. Then you enroll in an accredited Dietetic Internship for supervised practice in real work settings. A master’s degree must be completed prior to entering a DI program or during the DI program, concurrently with supervised practice. The majority of students who choose this pathway apply for a DI position through a competitive online matching process. However, some DPDs have placement agreements with DIs to ensure their graduates secure dietetic internship positions. If you are considering applying to a Didactic Programs in Dietetics, ask whether the program includes “pre-select matching.”

Students who graduate from both a DPD and a DI and have completed a master’s degree meet both the degree and supervised practice requirements to take the national RDN exam. Most DPDs offer bachelor’s degrees, while others satisfy the minimum graduate degree requirement. DI programs will either offer a master’s degree as part of their program, require interns to complete a master’s degree of their choosing while they complete the DI, or require interns to complete a master’s degree prior to entering the DI program.

Pathway: Future Education Model (FEM) Graduate Program in Nutrition and Dietetics (GP)

This pathway consists of graduate-level coursework and supervised experiential learning incorporated into one graduate degree program. When you graduate from a GP, you satisfy both the degree and supervised practice requirements to be eligible to take the national RDN exam.

Note: It’s important to differentiate accredited GPs from other master’s or doctorate programs that may not include the specific coursework or supervised practice required RDN eligibility. Examples are advanced degrees in disciplines that existing RDNs might pursue to complement their credential but that are not accredited by ACEND for their graduates to be eligible to take the national RDN credentialing exam.

Supervised Experiential Learning. Nutrition and dietetics experiences completed prior to the start of the program will not be considered as replacements of the programs’ required applied experiences.

Courses. Due to the nature of the competency-based education, nutrition courses taken at other universities are not accredited under Future Model (FEM) standards cannot be used in place of required courses. Syllabi for courses taken through FEM graduate program can be submitted to the Program Director for review. While students may notice repetition in subjects from previously completed nutrition courses, this repetition supports solidifying knowledge that is essential for a successful RDN exam pass rate.

Students must complete:

34 credit hours or required coursework

1,000 hours of experiential learning

Course Sequence & Academic Standards:

Courses must be taken in the prescribed order, unless exceptions are approved for extenuating circumstances.

A minimum grade of “B” or higher is required in all graduate courses.

Successful completion leads to:

A Master of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics

A Verification Statement required to sit for the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) exam.

Remediation Process if a student scores below 80% on a competency assignment or “satisfactory” in a Supervised Experiential Learning (SEL) rotation:

1. Instructor notifies the student via email and Canvas
2. Student is reminded of the remediation attempt (competency, student name, date)
3. Instructor logs the remediation attempt (competency, student name, date)
4. Noth original and remediated work are stored in the Canvas Remediation Module.

If Remediation Fails:

1. The MS GP Director intervenes to develop further strategies, which may include:
   • Revised coursework
   • One-on-one faculty support
   • Reasseement via exams

Additional Support:

1. Students may be referred to TSU University College, which offers:
   • Academic Advising
   • Career Services Mentoring
   • Retention Tutoring and Learning Center

SEL Experiences Remediation:

• Must be completed during off-time or port-program year.
• Site/ rotation availability is not guaranteed
• All remediation must be completed within 150% of program length (25.5 months).